SGBK20002U Macroecology and Community Ecology

Volume 2024/2025
Education

MSc Programme in Biology - restriced elective
MSc Programme in Nature Management - restricted elective
MSc Programme in Biology with a minor subject - restricted elective
MSc Programme in Environmental Science - restricted elective

Content

Species’ distribution and abundance from community to global scale:

  • Basics: Species concepts, Biomes, Biogeography
  • The role of history, evolution, climate, climate change and biotic interactions in shaping diversity patterns
  • Spatial diversity gradients: Area, Latitude, Altitude/depth, Isolation, Habitat diversity, Productivity
  • Temporal diversity gradients: Geological, Geomorphological, Historical, Evolutionary and Ecological time scales
  • Community scale: Niches, Filters, Competition, Mutualism, Disturbance, Succession, Species pools
  • Macro scale: Diversity-stability, Diversity-productivity, Equilibrium theory, Geometrical constraints, Vicariance, Speciation
  • Testing: Experimentation, Simulation, Null models
Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

  • Knowledge on diversity patterns of organisms from local to global scale
  • Understanding of the processes that determine species distributions and abundances
  • Operational understanding of theories on how communities are assembled


Skills:

  • Identify and describe diversity patterns from local to global scale
  • Suggest and investigate possible diversity pattern-shaping mechanisms
  • Evaluate, compare and elaborate theories behind diversity patterns
  • Apply and interpret relevant statistical tools and tests
  • Contribute on a scientific basis to debates concerning management of biodiversity in light of global changes in land-use and climate.


Competences:

  • Ability to evaluate theories about diversity patterns and processes
  • Ability to use and interpret relevant computational tools and test methods
  • Conceptual basis to contribute to management practice and opinion formation
Literature

See Absalon.

Two weekly two hours lectures.
Three to five exercise hours that may be:
Readings of papers
Operational exercises (mainly calculus)
The course expands the bachelor courses Biodiversity and Conservation biology.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 28
  • Class Instruction
  • 15
  • Preparation
  • 139
  • Practical exercises
  • 20
  • Exam
  • 4
  • Total
  • 206
Written
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester

Written individual feedback on exercise reports. Oral collective feedback during classes.

Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
On-site written exam, 4 hours under invigilation
Exam registration requirements

It is mandatory to hand in  exercise reports and have them approved by the teacher.
 

Aid
All aids allowed

The use of generative AI is not allowed in answering the exam

 

Digital Notes (It is allowed to upload notes for the ITX exam via digital exam. You will find a link to this feature from your exam in Digital Exam).

Access to Excel

Access to R/RStudio

Find more information about written on-site exams in the exam rooms, incl. information about standard programs on the exam PCs at KUnet.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Re-exam

Same as the ordinary exam

If 10 or fewer students have registered for the re-exam, the examination form will be changed to an oral examination, 20 minutes with 20 minutes preparation time and all aids allowed.

Criteria for exam assesment

In order to obtain the grade 12 the student should convincingly and accurately demonstrate the knowledge, skills and competences described under Learning Outcome.